If you saw the recent video of "Old Mr. Grump" shooting the "Lucky Lawyer" in Los Angeles, you can learn a valuable lesson about which firearm to choose for self-defense.

The press rarely reports what kinds of guns are used in crimes, and usually gets it wrong when it tries. Nevertheless, I have concluded Mr. Grump used a .22-caliber pistol. Otherwise, the Lucky Lawyer would not have remained on his feet for so long.

Now, a .22, a .25 and a .32 will kill you, provided the bullet strikes a vital organ. Sometimes the person will bleed to death if the wounds are not treated promptly. But in a self-defense situation, you will not be comforted by the fact that your assailant bled to death an hour after he cut your throat or blew your brains out. And, as Mr. Grump demonstrated on camera, hitting a vital organ is not that easy for an untrained pistolero.

By the way, the numbers used to describe bullets refer to the diameter of the bullet. We use the English system, the Europeans use the metric system, but the diameters are the same.

Most people who know anything about guns recommend as a minimum the .38 special, preferably the .38 Plus P with hollow-point bullets, for self-defense. I have always personally favored the .45, either the .45 ACP or the .45 Long Colt. Of course, the .40, the .357 Magnum, the .41 Magnum, the .44 special and .44 Magnum will also more than do the job, but there are disadvantages to those weapons.

Firing a .44 Magnum in a close room is likely to make your ears ring for weeks. There is also the danger that the bullet will pass through the assailant, through a wall and into some innocent person. After all, most of us no longer live in stone castles, but in places built with cheap wood and plasterboard.

I am not recommending that you run out and buy a hog leg for self-defense. That's too important a decision to be made on the basis of a newspaper column. If you are, however, thinking about it and you are not familiar with firearms, you must first do three things.

One, you have to prepare yourself psychologically to take a human life. It's one thing that can't be undone. As my father said repeatedly when he was teaching me to shoot, "After you kill somebody, it's too late to be sorry." And so it is. In a life-and-death confrontation, you can't afford to conduct a debate on whether to pull the trigger or not. So, if you can't visualize yourself killing a human being and then living with it, you're better off buying a can of pepper spray.

Two, you must learn the laws in your state regarding self-defense. They are both easy and tricky. It's easy in that the law states that if you, as a reasonable person, believe that you and/or another person are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, you can use whatever force is necessary to defend yourself. If you are inside your own home, you do not have to retreat.

Now the tricky part. Outside your home or place of business, if there is an escape route, you must take it. Even if someone walks up to you and spits in your face, slaps you or even punches you, you cannot whip out your gun and shoot the person. Killing for the sake of honor is no longer allowed in our decadent society  more's the pity, as it would greatly improve manners. Nor can you claim self-defense if you initiate the confrontation. For example, if you start a fistfight and your opponent whips out a knife or gun and you shoot him, that's not self-defense. Even in your own home or business, if the assailant turns tail, you cannot shoot him in the back and claim self-defense. If you plan to use a firearm for self-defense, you had better know the law, or you'll see the inside of a prison.

Third, you have to buy your gun and then practice diligently to become really proficient in its use, so proficient that you can use it in the dark when you're scared and caught by surprise.

And finally, a politically incorrect word of advice passed along to me years ago by a veteran cop: If you have to shoot somebody, make sure the judge will hear only your version of what happened. In other words, kill; otherwise, your assailant will probably sue you.

Anything less than a 10 guage loaded with #4 buck is kinda wimpy. If you must have a hand gun to keep in your coat pocket, try a .50 AE with decent hollow points; it'll usually get the job done with a few well placed shots.

Most of those are antiques. 10 gauges only came back briefly a few years ago for waterfowl hunters who had to use steel shot per environmental regulations. Updated 12 gauge shells changed all that and sent the 10 gauges back to the museums.

Updated 12 gauge shells changed all that and sent the 10 gauges back to the museums.

Not. Still quite popular and a variety of loads, buckshot, birdshot, slugs, are readily available. I Keep my 10 guage beside my bed with 3 1/2 inch #4 Buckshot loads in it. Been looking for an 8 guage (picked up some slug loads for one cheap a while back), but they seem to be pretty much obsolete. And I'd really, really like to get my hands on a 4 guage (I've only seen one and I've wanted one ever since. Looks a bit like a small recoilless rifle that needs to be mounted on a jeep or something). Now, a 4 guage is my idea of adequate home defense.

"This is the point that gets missed by many gun buyers; when the time comes, they hesitate.."

I am a instinct shooter with a pistol, I shoot better when I give no thought to the matter, point it, and blaze away. When it comes to aimed slow fire with a handgun, I am not that hot, but for quick reflex popping, I excel. And for that kind of work, nothing in MMHO can compare to my 1911A1 .45 ACP.

As my mind is made up beforehand on what to do when it comes to a confrontation with a perp, so I shall not be burdened by uncertainties of the conscience if such an occasion should arise.

12
posted on 11/09/2003 9:47:13 PM PST
by Ursus arctos horribilis
("It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919)

Weren't most 4 gauge guns punt guns? I thought they were used by market hunters to shoot rafts of ducks. Should you find one, I suggest not shooting it from the shoulder due to the recoil. From what I read, they caused the punt to move backward under recoil.

Happy hunting, and remember, beware the quantum duck - Quark! Quark!

13
posted on 11/09/2003 9:54:28 PM PST
by GladesGuru
(In a society predicated upon liberty, it is essential to examine principles - -)

I am not so great w/ aimed pistol fire either, but I don't think any average citizen is any better. I am convinced that if a target is farther away than 15', you shouldn't be using a handgun anyway.

I was trained to instinct shoot, and I have been thru many LEO shoot/no shoot training sessions. I will not hesitate to use deadly force to protect innocent lives or my property.

I use a 16 gauge Browning autoloading shotgun loaded with #00 3" Mags for home defense, and my CCW piece is a .380 auto loaded w/ Black Talons staggered w/ Glaziers. I really like the .45 ACP, but I am a smaller fella, and the .45 is just too hard to conceal.

Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil, for I (or maybe my wife) am the most heavily armed SOB in the Valley!

I have an EAA Witness in 9mm. I use Glaser +P with Cor-Bon +P hollowpoints behind them.

Your .380 with the Glaser and Black Talons should be OK, but here's a story about a .380 to keep in mind:

My (superb) CCW instructor considers anything below a .38 to be sub-caliber. He was on the fence about the .380, until a former student of his was assaulted. The perp stuck a gun in his face and demanded money. The guy couldn't draw his own pistol, so he handed over his wallet. The robber pulled the trigger to kill him anyway, but the pistol didn't fire! He racked it and pulled the trigger again, and the pistol still didn't fire. This allowed the fellow to draw his own weapon, which was a small .380 auto. (I don't know what kind of ammo.) He emptied it (7 rounds) at point-blank range into the robber's chest. The robber took off running, and only after covering about 40 yards did he slow down, slump to the ground, and die.

This convinced my instructor not to recommend the .380.

Again, I think with the loads you have you're OK, but bigger is always better, provided you can comfortably handle it.

Most of those are antiques. 10 gauges only came back briefly a few years ago for waterfowl hunters who had to use steel shot per environmental regulations. Updated 12 gauge shells changed all that and sent the 10 gauges back to the museums.

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